, 1887-06-29
ONE REPUBLICAN STAND
POINT.

We find in the Denver Republican of
yesterday a long and rather rambling edi-
torial to which we respectfully call the at
tentiou of the Sun. While there are
some features of the article with which
we cannot agree, we still cheerfully give
it space as a somewhat novel expression
Of opinion from the leading Republican
newspaper OF Colorado. The article fol-
lows
The Republican party must not allow
itself to be draw into the fatal policy nf
defending the land steals which Commits
sioner Sparks is attacking. The entire
country, outside of the rings directly as
sailed. is with HIM on this subject. At
the East there is a very pronounced con-
viction hat the public domain has been
largely stolen by railroad and cattle com
paLies under the forms OF law. The masses
are disposed to applaud whatever obstacles
Sparks can put in the way OF this whole
sale raIscity, and in all controversies are
disposed to give him the benefit of the
doubt.
1t is clear to our mind that the land
policy of Sparks with all its blunders is
the only card out Of which the admins
tration can hope to make any political cap
ital next year. To ~antagonize it is to give
1t national prominence and make it a vital
issue. The crew of jobbers and schemers
in Western lands who nave been assailing
Sparks cannot be defended before public
opinion Their very opposition tends to
give the commissioner a certificate OF
character.
Sparks's policy of protecting the public
lands for actual settlers, so far as it is car
ried out in good faith, receives the hearty
endorsement of the people, regardless of
party. Inevitably it helps the Democrat
ic party.
There is, however, some reason to
doubt the sincerity of all this crusade
against land frauds. The thing for Re
publicans to do is TO collect evidence on
this point. The Democrats must be pre-
vented from getting credit for a reform
which they do not genuinely carry into
effect. Ii is notorious that all our Wyo
ming cattle companies have obtained the
best lands along the streams partly by
legitimate methods, but largely by frauds.
The territory presents a fine field tor the
unearthing of SCHEMES TO keep out actual
settlers by illegally a%ppropristiDg valuable
lands which the nation declares it has ex.
pressly reserved for those very settlers.
But over half the term Of the Rdministra-
ton has expired and nothing has been
done. The land officials whom Sparks
has sent into the territory are bloOded
Southerners who affiliate socially With the
cattle kings, and who were trained up
from childhood to detest the Northern
''mudsllls' who are the settlers. Their
mission Is to make capital for the Democ
racy, but how they can do this and
yet favor the most glaring of the land
grabbers is the problem. 1t is certain
that they have practically played into
the hands of such cattle kings as are
conniving to keep out immigration by
rigidly enforcing all the technicalities
against the poor settlers who come in.
The purpose OF these rules is to prevent
fraud aud harass actual settlers. But
when they are put into the hands OF men
not in sympathy with that purpose the
object for which they which they were
created can be easily reversed.
Sparks and his Wyoming contederates
are not smart enough to fool the country.
Proofs that they are not in earnest are
accommodating against them. If they show
that they are sincere they shall have full
credit But they will not be allowed to
fix up a partnership arrangement with the
land grabbers through which they are to
obtain political capital next year for the
Democratic party by making a vast noise
over a few frauds, while the chief land
thieves are let off easy, with the bulk of
their plumber in exchange for services rem
dered in playing the other part.